Definition

1. Verb:
   • To remove an obstruction from: "unstop" means to clear something that is blocked or clogged, allowing free passage.
   • To remove a stopper or cork from: "unstop" also refers to opening a container by taking out its closure, such as a bottle stopper.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The plumber used a tool to unstop the drain. (To clear a blocked pipe.)
  • She carefully unstopped the wine bottle for dinner. (To remove the cork from a bottle.)

Advanced Usage

• "to unstop one's ears": figurative use meaning to listen attentively or remove mental barriers.

  • He finally unstopped his ears and heard the truth. (He became receptive to hearing.)

• "to unstop a passage": used in literary or technical contexts to describe clearing a path or channel.

  • The rescue team worked to unstop the blocked tunnel. (To remove an obstruction from a passageway.)

Variants and Related Words

• Unstopped (adj): not blocked or closed; open.

  • The unstopped pipe allowed water to flow freely. (The pipe was not obstructed.)

• Unstopping (n or adj): the act of removing a blockage.

  • The unstopping of the sewer required heavy machinery. (The process of clearing it.)

Synonyms

• Clear: to remove obstacles or blockages.
• Open: to make accessible by removing a closure.
• Unclog: to free from a clog or obstruction.
• Uncork: specifically to remove a cork from a bottle.

Phrasal Verbs

• (None specific to "unstop"; it is a standalone verb.)

Related Idioms

• (No common idioms directly use "unstop"; the concept appears in phrases like "unstop the flow" or "unstop the dam.")